Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-04-29
THE COMMERCE LAW.
Official Statement Prepared by the
Inter State Commerce Commits
sion to Accompany Its Orders.
The Commission is now Considering
the Course ii will Adopt in Re.
ference to Section FOur.
ANY Statements of Facts IN Regard to The
Working of that Section iare Ear
nestly Solicited,
INTER- STATE COMMERCE.

WASHINGTON, April 24.-Following is
an Official statement prepared by the
| interstate commerce commission to &C
company its orders in the matter of
transcontinental railroads: "The commits
sion has made orders, upon the applica-
ton of the Southern Pacific, the North
err Pacific, the AtchisOn, Topeka and
Santa Fe and the St. Loais and Sen Fran
cisco Railroad Companies for relief from
the operations of section 4 of the eacs to
regulate commerce. permitting car
rierS to establish rates to. and
from the Pacific coast at less
amounts than to and from intermediate
points for period not exceeding seventy
five days. This result has been reached
upon considerations which are not neces-
sary to be now stated in detail, but which
appear to leave no present alternative
1t is in the evidence before US that rates
to and from local points on some of the
transcOntinental lines have been some
what reduced since April 5, and also that
through rates which prevailed prior to
April were the result of a war of rates.
among It's lines and produced a discrep-
ancy between local rates and through rates
which the carriers agree was unreasOn-
able and do not desire to return to. The
commission IS earnestly engaged in con-
siderlng the course which it will finally
adopt in reference to section I Many
conflicting interests have Indicated
8 desire to be heard, and
should have an opportunity to
be heard before final decision is reached.
All such persons are invited to present
such facts for che purpose Of this matter
only, and without authorizing any praC-
tice Of that nature, in order TO get the
fullest information and afford the most
extended facilities to distant points OF
the country, the commission will receive
atiidavits as to matters of fact, and printed
or written arguments of matters of
fact, or Of law, which should be
presented without delay. This invitation
extends to the general subject of the
questions arising under section 1, and
is not limited to the petitions of trans,
continental roads. Meanwhile the atten-
ton of carriers is directed to the pro-
priety OF deVoting the intermediate time
to The preservation and adoption of
tariffs which shall attempt to meet in
good faith the requirements of The act 30
regulate commerce, giving the same fair
Interpretation IN all its various
features. In making this order
the commission does not finally determine
upon It's pr0priety, but the further the
Investigations now in progress 1t is pro-
per, right and just that the permission
provided for be given in order that gen
eral business Shall receive no unneces-
sarY shock or damage. The orders are
intended to prevent as far as may De-
possible, the creation of mischief in
period, which, in a certain sense,
is transitory, and which must OF
necessity involve changes, the full extent
of which cannot st present be f0reseen.
The order in the case of each lines recites
in its preamble circumstances peculiar to
the line to which it applies. The follow
ing language is common to all and
emoodies the substance of the
documents: "And it appearing to
the commission after an investigation
7 of said petition and facts presented
in support thereof, to be proper case
for temporary order until the commits
sion can make a complete examination of
the matters alleged as reasons for re
lieving said cOmpsny's from the operation
of said section OF said act, it is ordered
that said application be and the same is
hereby granted temporarily subject to
modification or revocation by the COM
mission at any time upon hearing or other
wise, and said Northern Pacific Railroad
is hereby temporarily relieved from the
operation of section of said act to the
extent specified in the recital of this order
and for period not greater than seven
ty-tve days from this date, subject, how
ever, to the restriction, that while this
or er remains in force said common
carrier shall not charge or receive COM
pensation FIR transportation of property
between sections on its line where more
Is charged fer shorter and longer
haul than the rates prior to the
20th of April. 1t is a further con-
dillon of this order that q printed
copy hereof shall be forthwith publicly
posted and kept in the schedule rates and
charges at every station named herein
upon the line OF said company for use of
the public.